Invention by Design
eBook - PDF

Invention by Design

How Engineers Get from Thought to Thing

  1. English
  2. PDF
  3. Available on iOS & Android
eBook - PDF

Invention by Design

How Engineers Get from Thought to Thing

About this book

Henry Petroski's previous bestsellers have delighted readers with intriguing stories about the engineering marvels around us, from the lowly pencil to the soaring suspension bridge. In this book, Petroski delves deeper into the mystery of invention, to explore what everyday artifacts and sophisticated networks can reveal about the way engineers solve problems.

Engineering entails more than knowing the way things work. What do economics and ecology, aesthetics and ethics, have to do with the shape of a paper clip, the tab of a beverage can, the cabin design of a turbojet, or the course of a river? How do the idiosyncrasies of individual engineers, companies, and communities leave their mark on projects from Velcro® to fax machines to waterworks? Invention by Design offers an insider's look at these political and cultural dimensions of design and development, production and construction.

Readers unfamiliar with engineering will find Petroski's enthusiasm contagious, whether the topic is the genesis of the Ziploc® baggie or the averted collapse of Manhattan's sleekest skyscraper. And those who inhabit the world of engineering will discover insights to challenge their customary perspective, whether their work involves failure analysis, systems design, or public relations. Written with the flair that readers have come to expect from his books, Invention by Design reaffirms Petroski as the master explicator of the principles and processes that turn thoughts into the many things that define our made world.

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Yes, you can access Invention by Design by Henry Petroski in PDF and/or ePUB format, as well as other popular books in Technology & Engineering & Industrial Design. We have over one million books available in our catalogue for you to explore.
sion 
would 
be 
irresponsibly 
appropriating 
limited 
resources 
to 
overdesign
everything 
from 
beverage 
cans 
to 
bridges. 
While 
safe 
artifacts 
and 
systems
of 
all 
kinds 
are 
clearly 
very 
important 
for 
the 
society 
that 
finances 
them,
every 
dollar 
that 
goes 
unnecessarily 
into 
strength 
may 
be 
a 
dollar 
that 
is
not 
available 
for 
other 
needs, 
such 
as 
conservation 
or 
maintenance. 
In
the 
real 
world, 
such 
questions 
become 
inextricably 
intertwined 
with 
po-
litical 
and 
social 
issues, 
from 
which 
engineering 
problems 
are 
never
immune.
Introduction
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Table of contents

  1. Cover
  2. Title Page
  3. Copyright
  4. Dedication
  5. Contents
  6. Preface
  7. 1. Introduction
  8. 2. Paper Clips and Design
  9. 3. Pencil Points and Analysis
  10. 4. Zippers and Development
  11. 5. Aluminum Cans and Failure
  12. 6. Facsimile and Networks
  13. 7. Airplanes and Computers
  14. 8. Water and Society
  15. 9. Bridges and Politics
  16. 10. Buildings and Systems
  17. References and Further Reading
  18. Illustration Credits
  19. Index